In-Band On-Channel (IBOC) is an emerging Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) technology, developed by IBIQUITY DIGITAL, INC., that enables radio broadcasters to transmit digital data (“the data”) over their current analog transmission frequencies—which are typically used for the transmission of audio broadcasts. IBOC technology has the ability to create a “hybrid” signal that can simultaneously send analog (“audio”) and digital data. The digital data can be digitally compressed analog (“audio”) data, instructions for rendering visual components (“visual data”) on an IBOC DAB receiver, or information for other data-specific services. For example, digital data could potentially render visual components such as text and images describing artist/song title information, news headlines, digital audio traffic reports or other information that could be valuable to a radio listener. U.S. Pat. No. 5,757,854 discusses these capabilities in greater detail.
The present invention addresses advertising and the companies that serve the advertising industry in the capacity of creating advertisements for a specific medium as well as the development of intelligent tools to efficiently and strategically place advertisements. Previously, with regards to advertising on the Internet or World Wide Web, multiple companies have developed creative tools for the production of “web banners” and web pages where those banners are typically found. DOUBLECLICK, INC., for example, has developed and patented a process for intelligently distributing these banners across a network of web sites for maximum reach and efficiency.
The present invention also relates to the aggregation of content from multiple providers and the redistribution and re-packaging of that content for heretofore uncontemplated media applications. INFOSPACE is perhaps the clearest example of a company whose core business is to aggregate content from multiple providers into a central space that is repackaged and licensed to other entities wishing to utilize that content—such as other web sites and wireless network providers. INFOSPACE collects content on a multitude of subjects and then licenses that content (or selected “chunks” of that content) to a company such as VERIZON WIRELESS, a wireless communications company, for the purposes of supplying their wireless access protocol (WAP) enabled users content to their mobile phones.
Prior technologies concerning digital radio are described in the following patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,148,007, 6,128,350, 6,128,334, 6,108,810, 6,005,886, 5,956,624, 5,956,373, 5,949,813, 5,930,687, 5,903,598, 5,898,732, 5,878,089, 5,850,415, 5,815,671, 5,809,065, 5,764,706, 5,745,525, 5,703,954, 5,633,896, 5,465,396, 5,315,583, 5,278,844, 5,278,826, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.